John C. "Doc" Bahnsen Jr. (November 8, 1934 – February 21, 2024) was a United States Army brigadier general and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War.

[6][7][8] The family moved to Rochelle, Georgia, in 1941, where John Charles Bahnsen's father worked as the federal soil conservationist for Wilcox County.

[15] As a cadet, Bahnsen met George S. Patton IV and Hank Emerson, who were then assigned to West Point as tactical officers, and they became his mentors.

Bahnsen was a mediocre student, but excelled in military science and physical education courses On June 5, 1956, he graduated with a commission as an Infantry Second Lieutenant, ranking 406th out of 480 in his class.

[16] After graduation from the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, Lieutenant Bahnsen attended Airborne School.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Patricia Fitzgerald, prior to attending Fixed Wing Flight School at Camp Gary, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama.

While at the 12th Aviation Group Bahnsen created a "Top Gun" competition to improve helicopter weapons marksmanship by offering prizes and bragging rights for the best scores.

In April 1968, Bahnsen was part of the Army's response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., spending a day patrolling Washington, D.C. during the post-assassination rioting.

Bahnsen frequently fought from the air in his UH-1 command and control helicopter, and often joined his troops on the ground to lead infantry operations.

[30] During his command he began a relationship with Phyllis "Fif" Shaughnessy, a civilian employee of the International Recreation Association under contract with the U.S. State Department.

[32][33] Under Bahnsen's command, 1st Squadron was engaged in enemy contacts over a broad area of the III Corps Tactical Zone, the military region between Saigon and the Central Highlands, particularly the Iron Triangle, the K4 Woods, the Fishhook, and the Michelin Rubber Plantation.

Bahnsen long argued that the U.S., South Vietnam and other allies were winning the war and would have achieved a military victory had the "fog of politics" not obscured the tactical success.

After completing the War College, Bahnsen was assigned to the Combat Arms Training Board at Fort Benning as the Armor team leader.

[42] Retiring in 1986, Bahnsen returned to West Point, where his wife Peggy was the first woman to serve as a regimental tactical officer (RTO), placing her in command of one-quarter of the Corps of Cadets.

He was employed as a Program Manager at BDM Corporation,[43] and then formed his own firm, Bahnsen, Inc., which performed consulting services for military and defense contractors.

[46] Bahnsen built a wildlife habitat in one of the farm's wooded areas, and raised corn and milo to feed the quail, doves, pheasants, and deer that lived on the property.

[47] He raised and trained English pointers, hosted an annual invitation-only dove shoot, and hunted fast-flying birds in the Midwest each year.

[57] The Bahnsens also endowed the Future American Warrior Award at Marion Military Institute, a pistol presented each year to the graduate who demonstrates the most leadership potential.